The present invention relates, in general, to geometry boards, and in particular to a new and useful geoboard which has movable pins.
Over the past several years the character of mathematics education has changed quite dramatically. Students are no longer limited to exercising their minds with the old traditional kit of paper and pencil or black board and chalk, ruler, triangle and protractor. A new category of teaching/learning aids has come to the fore in schools from pre-kindergarten through the sixth grade. They are collectively called "manipulatives." These devices are designed to encourage children to explore mathematical concepts by simple processes of physically holding, shifting, re-arranging, linking or stacking various parts and components.
Prominent among the manipulatives is the geoboard shown in FIG. 1. Usually made of plastic or wood, it is a handheld square board with short fixed pins or pegs 11 on its surface. The fixed pins can be arrayed in a variety of grid patterns, e.g. 5.times.5, 11.times.11 or 27.times.27; or in a circular pattern. The board is used in conjunction with colored rubber bands. With his or her fingers, the user stretches a rubber band 15 around a number of pegs to form a geometric shape. Many shapes can be made with different rubber bands and shapes can overlap each other. Explorations in symmetry, area, perimeter and other topics are structured for the young student.